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I stand corrected, thank you. Fraud seems to be the crux of the law. However that so called artist could face jail if he simply brought those items into the U.S. since fraud is not mentioned regarding altered coins brougfht into the U.S. I found that difference to be pretty strange.

Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or

Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Although the US mint wants to "discourage" defacing of coins, they do point out that the law says its only illegal when defaced with the fraudulent intent. As long as a defaced coin is treated as such, as opposed to deceiving someone about the nature of the coin, say being changed and sold as a mis-struck coin or one produced in a different year, etc., then it is ok. There are companies that will sell painted or modified coins in the US, and they don't get in trouble as long as they aren't misleading about what they've done to the coin.

He's lucky he's in the UK. He'd be put in the pokey in the U.S. since defacingAmerican coins is illegal. Personally I think he's an idiot for destroying 1936 and 1930 coins that were a lot nicer to look at than his so called art.